Sealord Aria Results

Dunedin singer Claire Barton won the Sealord Aria competition in Nelson on Saturday night, with a prize of $3000, plus consideration for February's Sealord Opera in the Park, singing alongside world famous soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa.

Her near faultless performances of Rossini's Cruda Sorte and the Chanson Bohemienne from Bizet¹s ŒCarmen ¹ made her a deserving winner, according to adjudicator Marie Landis. Her execution was near perfect, as was her musicianship and her diction, Ms Landis said, her Italian in the first aria and her French in the second were both excellent and she gave a complete portrayal of her characters.

Claire is close to completing her master¹s degree in music at Otago and plans to head overseas in the middle of next year. She has taken second place in several other aria competitions, including Christchurch Aria just a couple of weeks ago, but the Sealord Aria was her first win.

Hadleigh Adams, who is studying for his masters at Victoria University of Wellington, took second place in the aria competition, winning $500 sponsored by Nelson Performing Arts.

Ms Landis has been adjudicator for six major competitions in New Zealand since 1998 and said she was impressed with the standard on Saturday night. The Sealord Aria competition, now in its fourth year, is growing in status every year.

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